Odisha government reconstitutes task force to boost NEP 2020 implementation

The government in Odisha has reformed a task force. It is for the purpose to recommend measures for implementing the New Education Policy (NEP) as per a notification from the school and Mass Education Department.

The notification mentions that the development commissioner and additional Chief Secretary will propose steps to facilitate the implementation of NEP2020 in the state. Moreover te task will also include 13-ex offcio members, including commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Department of School and Mass Education, the Principal Secretaries of the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, Finance Department, Women and Child Development Department, Skill Development and Technical Education Department, and the Sports and Youth Services Department.

Other list of members will involve the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Higher Education Department, the State Project Director of the Odisha School Education Programme Authority, the Director of TE and SCERT, the Principal of the Regional Institute of Education, and the Additional Secretary of the Department of School and Mass Education.

In addition the task force will also have expert members, they will be as a special invites from organisations for instance, UNICEF, CSF, Akshara Foundation, Language Learning Foundation, and PRATHAM.

As per the notification, six thematic sub-committed are restructured to address several aspects of the NEP-2020.

These committees have representative from other departments, directorates under the School and Mass Education (S&ME) department, and education experts as special invitees, according to the notification. And also, the chairperson is authorised to invite additional experts or relevant individuals to any committee or sub-committee meeting for discussions on specific issues to ensure the smooth implementation of NEP 2020, the notification further stated.

The government in past months have taken drastic initiatives towards education and development. It included planning to establish a medical college in each district, changing school uniforms for senior class of government schools and now the organization of task force to implement measure for NEP.